Is Your House Making You Fat?

Everyone knows that ordering 64-ounce sodas and always driving instead of walking contribute to tightening waistbands. But your home can harbor other, less obvious diet enemies: the wrong size juice glasses pack on an extra 8 pounds a year; lined curtains in your bedroom may contribute to that "I'm too tired to exercise" feeling. And the type of TV stand you have could affect both your eating and exercising habits. In short, your home may be making you fat.

Kitchen/family room combinations make food continuously present, gadgets do much of our work, and elaborate entertainment centers entice us to sit motionless for hours. "Even the trend to having more bathrooms means people walk shorter distances," says Kelly D. Brownell, PhD, director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders. "We've created a toxic environment that encourages excess eating and inactivity."

We're not suggesting you move into a three-story colonial home with only one toilet. Simple changes can have a dramatic effect. An emerging body of research from top institutions reveals that your decorating style--from the color of your walls to the scent of your candles--can affect your diet and exercise habits and, ultimately, your weight. Here are 22 ways to create a home environment to help you--and your family--stay slim.

Kitchen

1. Color your appetite blue. "Most people are unaware of the profound effect color has on their behavior," says Kenneth R. Fehrman, EdD, a professor of interior design and coauthor of Color, The Secret Influence. For instance, blue is an appetite suppressant. "In tests, many people could not bring themselves to eat foods colored blue. We have deep-seated instincts to avoid blue and purple foods, because they tend to be poisonous." To take advantage of this natural instinct, use blue plates, napkins, or place mats. You might even consider painting a wall blue or placing a blue light in the refrigerator to help curb late-night raids.

Avoid red, yellow, and orange in the kitchen and dining areas. "They exert a measurable effect on the autonomic nervous system, stimulating appetite," says Fehrman. Food manufacturers exploit this physiologic reaction by using food coloring, and it's no coincidence that many fast-food logos and restaurant decors use the red end of the color spectrum. "It makes us salivate and gets our stomach juices flowing," explains Fehrman.

2. Downsize dinnerware. Extensive diet research shows that "people eat what's put on their plates--even if it's more than they need to satisfy their hunger," says Judith S. Stern, ScD, RD, professor of nutrition at the University of California, Davis. To avoid portion distortion, Stern recommends buying smaller dishes for your home. "We need to bring back 8-ounce beverage glasses, 6-ounce coffee cups, and those little 6-ounce juice glasses--that are what serving sizes should be." Many popular brands such as Libbey and Pfaltzgraff sell 5- and 6-ounce juice glasses and 8-ounce beverage glasses. Save the 12-ounce glasses for water.

Orlando dietitian Roniece Weaver, RD, advises clients to purchase a set of inexpensive salad plates, 7 to 9 inches in diameter. "People like to fill their plates, so when they eat spaghetti off a regular 10- to 12-inch dinner plate," she says, "they may eat enough for four people." (The widely available Corelle brand sells luncheon plates that are 8½ to 9 inches and salad/dessert plates that are about 7 inches in many of their patterns.)

3. Use your spoodle. Weaver also recommends serving foods with a 4-ounce spoodle--a cross between a spoon and a ladle. "It's an easy way to portion out a half-cup serving of any food--meat, vegetable, or starch--which is generally enough to leave people feeling satisfied." Available at restaurant supply stores or online.

4. Turn up the lights. The kitchen may be closed, but keep the lights on. In two studies that tracked more than 400 people, researchers found that those on a diet are more likely to binge when there's less light. "Dimmer light makes you less self-aware, which loosens your inhibitions," says study author Joseph Kasof, PhD, of the University of California, Irvine. Conversely, bright lights make you more aware. "And if you're conscious of what you're doing, you're less apt to succumb to temptation."

5. Reflect. A mirror by the refrigerator or near your table may be all it takes to eat healthier. When more than 1,300 people were offered full-fat, reduced-fat, or fat-free spreads, those who dined in front of mirrors ate 22 to 32% less of the full-fat versions than those without mirrors. "If you make food choices in front of a mirror, you may think twice about what you eat," says study author Brad Bushman, PhD, of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. "When you confront your image, you become aware of your internal standards, goals, and values, such as health and thinness." A mirror near your TV, desk, or anywhere you tend to nibble may also help you eat less.

6. Dine with Vivaldi. "Music is nutrition for the soul," says Suzanne B. Hanser, EdD, a professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and president of the World Federation of Music Therapy. Studies show that music has the power to boost mood, reduce pain, and relieve depression. "Music may help curb stress-related emotional eating," she says, "and it can fill an inner need that might otherwise lead to overeating."You can also take a page from restaurants at home: When they want you fed and out in 40 minutes, they play music that pounds to 125 to 130 beats per minute--the faster the music, the faster you eat, says Wyatt Magnum, president of Magnum Music Group in Houston, a firm specializing in creating customized music environments for the restaurant industry. For fine dining establishments, where they want you to eat slower and have a relaxed 4- or 5-course meal, Magnum recommends classical and New Age music (so slow that they don't count beats per minute). His suggestions for music to eat slowly by: Enya's Shepherd Moons, anything Yanni, or, if New Age is not your style, moderate-tempo classical music such as Vivaldi's Four Seasons or Concerto in G Minor.

7. Keep out of the kitchen. Some new homes are equipped with an office nook in the kitchen. Two words: Get out! Set up a workstation in the family room or guest bedroom to avoid hanging out in the kitchen, says Daniel Stettner, PhD, a clinical psychologist specializing in diet and weight control in Berkley, MI. "Many people talk on the kitchen phone and work at the kitchen table. They're always around food, which increases their likelihood of eating," he says.

Bedroom

8. Let the sun in. A host of solid new studies from leading institutions such as the National Institute of Mental Health and Massachusetts General Hospital link light deprivation to a wide variety of weight-related disorders including depression, bulimia, and PMS. So hang sheer curtains, or keep the blinds open. "Exposure to the early-morning sunrise signals your internal biological clock to synchronize your physiology with your external environment," says Michael Terman, PhD, of the New York State Psychiatric Institute/Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. This critical "dawn signal" goes through the eyelids, he notes, but can't penetrate thick curtains.

"Contemporary urban lifestyles leave many people chronically deprived of light exposure, which can have profound effects on dietary choices, energy levels, physical activity, and weight gain," says Terman. His pioneering work on seasonal affective disorder reveals that susceptible people experience overwhelming food cravings, lethargy, and weight gain (some more than 30 pounds) during dark winter months. His latest research suggests that some people experience these reactions year-round. A milder version, known as "winter doldrums," affects about 25% of the population in the middle-to-northern regions of the US.

If you get up before sunrise, or leaving your curtains open is not an option in your home, try a dawn simulator--a kind of alarm clock that wakes you gradually with light. They're pricey--from $99 to $425--but may be worth a happier, healthier you in winter.

9. Repaint. Consider painting your bedroom walls a light color such as lavender or peach, says Fehrman. Most pastel hues have a calming effect. (The exception is pink, which causes aggression and irritability.) To find the perfect shade, observe the natural light in the room. If your bedroom gets morning sun, choose a shade with warm undertones. Afternoon sun? Pick a shade with cool undertones. (Many paint manufacturers label their colors "warm" and "cool," making it easy to tell the difference.) "Using this trick of selecting paint colors to balance the light entering the room creates a naturally relaxing space," says Fehrman.

If you're not ready for a drastic change, start with a few accents: a sage green bedspread or some light blue pillows. For the best effect, choose shades of these colors that appeal to you. For example, if you hate teal, no amount of this shade of green will relax you.

10. Downsize for good. Women often have closets with clothes spanning a range of sizes, such as 8 to 14, says John Jakicic, PhD, director of the Physical Activity and Weight Management Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh. This safety net can make it too easy to gain weight back after a diet, says Jakicic, who urges patients to "act like you're going to be successful. This means when you get down to a size 12, get rid of your size 14s and 16s."

11. Splash linens with lavender. Not getting a good night's sleep can disrupt your body's normal ability to process and control various weight-related hormones (glucose, cortisol, and thyroid hormones). This imbalance encourages cells to store excess fat and lowers your body's fat-burning ability. Lack of sleep may also make it harder to control cravings.

To create a calming, sleep-inducing atmosphere in your home, Alan R. Hirsch, MD, a Chicago neurologist and director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Organization, advises spritzing lavender oil or spray on your pillows. Studies have shown that lavender slows down your nervous system, promotes relaxation, and improves sleep quality.

12. Hide the TV. One of the best ways to avoid overeating and underexercising is to turn off the TV, says William Dietz, MD, PhD, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Studies have shown that the more TV people watch, the less they move and the more they weigh. And if Seinfeld or The Simpsons are your nightly dinner companions, you're probably eating more too. Where your kids watch makes a difference in their weight too: Research also shows that children with TVs in their bedrooms are more likely to be overweight.Reduce the number of TVs in your home, and don't watch TV during meals, directs Karen Lewis, program director of the Washington, DC-based TV-Turnoff Network. "If a TV is the focal point of your room, move it to a less prominent location," she says. Or hide it in an entertainment center that has a door you can close, cover it with a beautiful piece of fabric or a quilt, or put a painting on an easel or a folding screen in front of it. And before you turn it on, check a program guide to see if there's anything you really want to watch.

13. Rearrange the furniture. The placement of couches and chairs spurs specific activities. "Try grouping furniture to promote conversation instead of passive TV viewing," Lewis adds. While sitting and talking burns just slightly more calories than sitting and watching TV, you won't be tempted off your diet by all the food commercials. (And half an hour of rearranging furniture will burn more than 200 calories.) Also, move chairs away from telephones to encourage people to stand and stretch--or walk around--during phone calls.

14. Time yourself. When you do watch TV, avoid getting sucked in by setting a timer that will ring when half an hour or an hour is up, Lewis says. A timer can also help you avoid getting carried away with other sedentary activities such as e-mail, Internet surfing, and computer games.

Workout Area

15. Make space. Devote a room in your home, or part of a room, to movement. It can be a formal exercise room with equipment, such as a treadmill and weights, or it can be a simple corner with a yoga mat. People who have a home exercise area and equipment are more likely to stick with their fitness program, research shows.

16. Color it active. Brighten your exercise environment with deep colors such as green, red, blue, or golden yellow that are pleasing and energizing. "Very saturated, strong color gives an immediate 'zap' to your power system," says Fehrman. If you use your workout area for yoga or tai chi, use earth tones instead, which help you stay centered and focused. To create a room for both types of exercise, paint one wall a deep color, the others a light color, and face the deep-colored wall when doing high-energy activities.

17. Turn on some tunes. Studies show that listening to your favorite music while you work out can boost your mood and make exercise feel easier, so you may work out longer. "Music distracts you from thinking about how hard you're working," says study author Robert T. Herdegen, PhD. In his study, 12 people traveled 11% farther on exercise bikes while listening to music than when they pedaled in silence.

18. Burn candles. Try peppermint or jasmine, scents that have been linked to increased energy and alertness. When 40 athletes were exposed to peppermint scent, they ran faster and did more push-ups than when exposed to other scents or no scents at all, one study found. If you're doing a mind/body exercise, such as yoga, try coconut. When researchers at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons tested 26 people, those who inhaled a coconut fragrance showed lower heart rate increases in response to stress than those who inhaled plain air.

19. Skip the mirrors. A new study of 58 women found that sedentary women who exercised in front of a mirror for 20 minutes felt less energized, less relaxed, and less positive than women who worked out without a mirror. Even women who felt good about their bodies experienced these negative effects, says Kathleen Martin Ginis, PhD, of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

Throughout the House

20. Go retro. Place objects that remind you of past accomplishments, such as awards or graduation pictures, in strategic locations throughout your home, for example, on the refrigerator, on your nightstand, at your desk, or by your bathroom sink, suggests Anne Wilson, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. Wilson's research finds that these reminders of past glory can boost confidence and help you meet future goals. Other items that support your diet goals, such as photos of yourself at a healthy weight, a flyer for a 10-K walk you plan to enter, or a dress you want to fit into prominently displayed on your closet door, can also encourage you to stick with your efforts, Stettner says.

21. Use the stairs. Forget an expensive stairclimbing machine. "If you have stairs, you've got one of the best exercise devices around," says Mark Dessauer, spokesperson for Active Living By Design, a University of North Carolina-based program that promotes integrating activity into daily routines. "Find excuses to go up and down the stairs at least five times a day--perhaps by moving your TV or computer upstairs."

22. Get out of the house. "Place a broom on the front porch or the back deck, and sweep it daily," Dessauer says. "Start a garden, and work in it every day." Get rid of remote controls and other laborsaving devices, and use muscle power instead. Trade your leaf blower for a rake and your riding mower for a push mower--you'll burn up to an extra 125 calories in 30 minutes. And when you head back into your healthier house, you'll be healthier too.